A Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect for the Hi-Line in north-central Montana until 5am Saturday and for northeastern Montana until 11am Saturday. Wind chills as low as 30 below zero are possible. With wind chills this low, that means frostbite can occur on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
A High Wind Watch is in effect for the Rocky Mountain Front and all of Glacier County from 6am Saturday until 5am Sunday. Sustained wind speeds are going to be between 20 and 30 mph, and wind gusts up to 60+ mph are going to be possible at times.
A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for the Rocky Mountain Front from 5pm Saturday until 11am Sunday and for portions of western Montana from 5pm Saturday until 5am Monday. Up to 8 inches of snow accumulation is expected along the Rocky Mountain Front in locations that have an elevation above 4500 feet. In western Montana, 3 to 7 inches of snow accumulation is expected in the valleys, while 7 to 13 inches of snow accumulation is expected in the mountains. Light ice accumulations are also possible in western Montana.
There is also a Winter Storm Warning in effect for the western half of the Rockies from 11am Saturday until 5am Monday. 3 to 6 inches of snow accumulation is expected in the valleys; 6 to 12 inches of snow accumulation is expected for the mountain passes; and 12 to 18 inches of snow accumulation is expected in the higher elevations.
It is going to be frigid again tonight as lows are going to be in the teens/single digits below zero and the single digits above zero. The good news though is that the temperatures will warm up throughout the night in some locations, especially those that are along and west of I-15. We are also going to have increasing clouds and mainly dry conditions tonight. The wind is also going to pick up tonight, with breezy conditions expected after midnight in locations around and west of I-15.
For tomorrow, we are going to have warmer temperatures and breezy/windy conditions as highs are going to be in the 30s in a lot of locations and sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 30 mph. Per usual, the strongest wind is going to be along the Rocky Mountain Front. We are also going to have mostly cloudy skies tomorrow with a chance to see a few rain and snow showers.
On Sunday, light to moderate snow is going to develop throughout the day in portions of central Montana. There are then going to be areas of snow around Sunday night and Monday. Where exactly this snow develops is still up in the air, but at least part of central Montana is going to see snow and several inches of snow accumulation is possible in locations that do see this snow. We are also going to have falling temperatures throughout the day on Sunday as the temperatures are going to be in the 30s around sunrise, but will quickly drop into the teens and 20s by the afternoon. It is also going to be breezy on Sunday, especially during the morning, as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
There are then going to be some isolated snow showers around on Tuesday and Wednesday, especially in the mountains, as a couple disturbances pass through our area. The temperatures are also going to warm up some over these two days as highs on Tuesday are going to be in the mid to upper 20s and low to mid 30s, and highs on Wednesday are going to be in the 30s. Breezy conditions are also expected on Wednesday as sustained wind speeds are going to be between 10 and 20 mph.
For next Thursday and Friday, there are going to be scattered areas of snow around as a storm system begins to impact our area. It is also going to be chilly on these two days as highs are going to be in the 20s and low to mid 30s.
